5 TECHNIQUE TIPS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WORKOUT

5 TECHNIQUE TIPS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WORKOUT

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I am a big believer in the saying, “if you are going to do something, do it well”. And to me that means giving 100% effort. My workouts are no different and I don’t think yours should be either.

But I am not talking about killing yourself in your workout.

Instead, I am ALMOST talking about the opposite.

What I want to share with you is how to get more out of what you are already doing. If you like high intensity 20 minute workouts, then apply these technique tips and you will feel better. But if you like a slower paced workout with more rest built in, then apply these techniques and get more results.

Below I have my top 5 technique tips for you to get the most out of your workouts listed. I am not kidding when I say this is exactly what I think about and it is HOW I coach my clients. Plus I linked all my outfit details and you can see my most motivating workout partner, Freddy 🤍.

MID FOOT TO HEEL LOAD

Proper weight distribution in your foot is a key to muscle firing patterns in your lower body. And 99.9% of the time the right choice is to keep your weight mid foot to heel.

What does mid foot to heel mean? Imagine a line going through the laces of your sneakers and then making a 90 degree turn back to your heel. Your weight should be even between those points.

Using a proper mid foot to heel load should help you activate your lower body posterior chain – glutes + hamstrings. You will know you are doing this right when you feel the even distribution of weight in your feet and a burn in your glutes and hamstrings.

It is important to note that your toes should be in contact with the ground. I see too many people pulling their toes off the ground to keep their weight in the mid foot – heel. Picking up your toes all the time will have a negative impact on your balance and muscle firing patterns.

You can read more about training your glutes, hamstrings and quads by clicking on each word to find a list of the best exercises for each muscle.

WORKOUT TIPS FROM A PERSONAL TRAINER

SCAPULAR RETRACTION

It is so hard for me to pick just one of these tips as my favorite. They are each important in their own way. And in this case scapular retraction and stability are huge for get the most out of your upper body workouts and improving your posture.

Before you do any upper body movement – bicep curls, pull-ups, front raises, planks, literally any and all of them – you should be considering the involvement of your scapula in performing the movements correctly.

You will likely need to be retracting your scapula to some extent. Now, that could be a neutral position like on a bicep curl or it could be retracting them to a full pinch like at the start of ALL pulling movements.

I like to tell my clients to push their chest to the weight, by pinching their shoulder blades, when doing pulling movements. And to have a proud starting posture even for lower body movements like lunges.

The catch is always to maintain a neutral spine. You do not want to pinch your shoulder blades and arch your lower back. Your core should be engaged to keep a neutral spine position as you move.

Appropriately using scapular retraction and stability while exercising will help to improve your posture, increase strength gains and can even help alleviate some neck, shoulder and back pain.

You can learn more about improving your posture with this article.

More information on relieving low back pain can be found here.

A short list of the best back exercises (scapular retraction) can be found in this article.

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CORE ENGAGEMENT AND BRACING

This might be my broken record phrase and for good reason. Your core is your foundation, it is what provides us the ability to move. Keeping a strong and engaged foundation through all movement will result in better movement.

You will experience better results in the strength department, increase likelihood of using the right muscles and decreased discomfort. All because you kept your core tight.

And to clear up some common misconceptions about engaging your core … I am not talking about sucking in your belly, nor am I talking holding your breath.

If you have a second lay on your back for a quick example. First I want you to try and just suck your belly. And then try to breath normally and make any movement. Weird and hard right?

Now, try to engage your core and brace into the ground. Use the ground as a resistance you are trying to get your core to work against.

Do you see how they are different? And how much more core work you feel bracing versus sucking in? And it is easier to breath, right?

To round out this (brief) discussion, most muscles, including the abdominals, don’t actually get smaller upon contraction. Rather they get firm and more pronounced. So sucking in your belly to engage your core doesn’t make sense. What other muscles do we suck in?

I recommend my client use a core activation and engagement exercise as part of their warm-ups. But if this is something they really struggle with we practice. We find movements that allow them to keep their core engaged and challenges them to stimulate an adaptation.

If the core bracing exercise above was hard slow add in movement from one limb at a time and get more diverse as weeks go on. I like to start with deadbugs and the many variations that can be created for all clients.

You can read more about our favorite warm-up here. And get more information on training your core the right way in this article.

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RANGE OF MOTION

My clients come in looking for different results. Athletic performance, weight loss, pain management, slow down the aging process, improve their lifestyle, manage stress … and the list goes on. No matter what their goal is, we put a high priority on range of motion.

The progression for all clients is to improve and establish proper range of motion. At all joints. Then build stability and finish it off with power and strength. That isn’t always linear for every part of the body, but it is the philosophy I apply to all my clients for some pretty great results.

Assuming you do not have any major orthopedic issues or injuries you should be focusing on working in a full range of motion. Quarter squats are a thing that drive me crazy. Yes, an argument can be made for them in some people’s programming. But only if you are 95% of the time using a full squat range of motion.

That holds true for all movements – upper, lower and core. We want to be working in a full range of motion as often as possible. For my clients (and myself) I use the TRX as a tool to de-load or assist a movement enough to achieve a full range of motion.

When done correctly, over time, your range of motion will increase, and your muscle firing patterns within that range of motion will improve. This will result in improved stability and strength, decreased chronic pain and discomfort and improved physique.

You can read more about how to use the TRX to increase your range of motion and stability in this article.

If you do have orthopedic issues or injuries, you should consult a professional – physical therapist or personal trainer before trying anything.

TIPS FROM A PERSONAL TRAINER

MIND BODY CONNECTION

Very early in my career I was doing some research on body building and figure competitions. I was fascinated by the training that went into achieving the associated physiques and I wanted to know more.

The best nugget of information was from a coach that essentially told me if you can’t think of a muscle and flex it, then you can’t train it. He went on to explain that he has his clients stand in front of mirrors and practice engaging muscles. That posing practice was more than specific positions.

I was blown away by the simplicity of his statement. He summed it up so well.

Now I don’t expect my clients to stand in front of the bathroom mirror and flex their muscles. But I find this applicable to EVERY point I listed above. Connecting your mind to what your body is doing in exercise will improve your results.

In order to keep the load mid foot to heel during movement and keep your toes down, you need to think about it.

If you are really going to start every pulling motion with scapular retraction and NOT arch your lower back, you need to think about it.

Properly engaging your core and maintaining it throughout movement will require you to think about it.

And working in a full range of motion with the correct muscles firing will require you to think about it.

The good news is the more you practice, the easier it gets. Try not to get caught up in how much harder it is today and think about where you will be in a year from now with consistent practice.

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WORKOUT

Now, PLEASE, take my five tips and start applying them. I promise you will feel the difference. These tips are why I can get as much out of a 10-minute workout as people get out of a 50 minute workout.

Keep in mind – quality over quantity, and long-term over short-term.

OUTFIT DETAILS

Some of the links below are commissionable links. There is no increase price for you and your support is greatly appreciated.

I am loving these Old Navy Joggers – they are incredible soft, high-waisted and breathable. Now, I wouldn’t go for a run in them, but they are perfect for workouts at home or at the gym. And this top is new from Target, love the colors and the cropped fit.

And for all of those who love a good deal, I used Rakuten to shop my whole look and earn cash back. You can earn $20 cash back after your first purchase. Click here to learn more.

Have a great day!

-Chellie

PERSONAL TRAINER

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Are you ready to start a new workout program that focuses on building strength in a simple and effective manner? Then you are in the right place! My Dumbbell Only Workout Program is your answer to achieving your fitness goals. Let's explore why my program is the...

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3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

Owning your own training business can be an exciting and yet overwhelming thought. But ask yourself... Are you committed to the long term? Does passion and knowledge fuel your desire to work with clients everyday? Are you looking for more career advancement...

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WHAT DOES TONING YOUR BODY MEAN

WHAT DOES TONING YOUR BODY MEAN

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The word toning is constantly in the media, but what does it actually mean? It could mean muscle definition, or lean muscle, a low body fat percentage, or slim hips and shoulders, or even long legs. The thing is that it comes down to perspective. 

If you asked 100 people what toning means there would be a wide variety of answers. I am here to tell you that toning is the result of increased muscle definition and decreased body fat. Period. Based on your build this will appear differently.

You cannot beat genetics. Your height, the width of you shoulders, hip size cannot be changed through exercise and diet. But you can control your body fat and lean muscle mass. Although, you may not love the lifestyle that is required. You can read more about the relationship between fitness + weight loss in a recent blog post. The role of genetics and the media are clearly discussed. 

Let’s talk more about how the media, nutrition and resistance training can impact you goals of toning your physique. 

And I share my outfit details at the bottom 🙂

tricep extension for tonig

IN THE MEDIA

Every where you look there is a friend, trainer, influencer telling us the secret to a toning. Promising that all we have to do is 5 specific body weight exercises for the best results. 

In reality, there is no scientific proof that there are 5 specific best toning exercises. It is just their opinion. And some opinions might be based on a significant amount of experience and others on just fluff. 

Let’s also remember that achieving a toned appearance is the result of your perspective. And that very perspective has been cultivated over years of experience and exposure. Both in real life and the media. 

It is very easy for a person who carries low body fat and high muscle tone, due to their genetics, to put together a video of their favorite exercises. And for you to fall victim to believing it really is that easy. 

lat pull down for toning

BODY WEIGHT EXERCISES ONLY

There is a misconception that lifting weights for women will cause a bulky appearance and that only body weight exercises should be used for a toned appearance. Here is the fact, you are limiting your potential by only doing body weight exercises. 

As I said above, toning is the result of increased muscle definition and decreased body fat. Increased muscle definition comes from muscle hypertrophy. And muscle hypertrophy comes from a load being applied to the muscle. A load like weights + resistance. 

And just a little PSA – if you are doing core exercises in hopes of burning body fat in you abdominal region, stop. I am sorry to tell you, but you cannot spot reduce fat. 

Don’t stop doing core exercises, but stop thinking that it is the way to reduce your abdominal fat. You will end up frustrated because of poor results. 

As long as you are doing the core exercises correctly, you are strengthening and defining you abdominal muscles. But the decrease in body fat will need to come from a well rounded approach that includes nutrition, full body resistance training and cardio training. 

bicep curl

NUTRITION

It is important that I make one thing clear. As a personal trainer, I cannot give advice about nutrition. My training in undergraduate school was limited. However, I can share some basic principals rooted in science to get you started. 

Before we get to those two principals I want to address nutritions role in a toned physique. Nutrition is a key component to lowering your body fat percentage and having the lean appearance that allows muscle definition to be apparent. 

Because each of our bodies are different the right diet to achieve a toned appearance can be different. It will also be different based on what your perspective of a toned physique is. The more muscle definition you want (think body builder) the more precise your nutrition will have to become. And that might not be the lifestyle you actually enjoy. 

WATER

Water intake is more important than we can really understand. I can personally feel a huge difference when I drink over 100 ounces of water in a day. I have more energy, I avoid awful headaches and my productivity is always better. 

That is because water is essential to so many functions of our bodies. Drinking enough water can help to maximize physical performance, increase brain function, and boost skin health. 

QUALITY

Counting calories can be effective tool for weight loss, toning and sports performance. It can also cause a load of negative side effects that can be counter productive. 

Instead of tracking quantity, I focus on the quality of the food I am consuming. I am looking to eat more whole foods and limit processed foods. I try to strike a daily balance between protein, fruits, veggies and starch. 

This is because the nutrients in good quality food will help improve your body’s performance. Allowing for better sleep, better workouts, better brain function

I highly recommend you find a qualified (licensed and/or certified) dietician or nutritionist that has experience working with the goals you have. An educated, experienced professional THAT YOU LIKE will be a game changer. If you don’t like them, or don’t have that “this is the one” feeling you should consider looking around a bit more.

And if you love to track your workouts, food and daily actions you should check out our fitness + lifestyle journal. I love using it to keep myself accountable for my fitness goals, but also my personal and professional goals.

single leg rdl for toning

RESISTANCE TRAINING

On to my favorite topic, resistance training. Toning, or increased muscle definition and decreased body fat, is a direct result of consistent resistance training. 

So, to all of those people who are pledging 5 exercises for toned arms in 2 weeks, I am calling BS. A toned appearance is the result of hard work over time. I encourage you to shift your focus from where can I be next week to, where can I be this time next year. The possibilities get bigger with time. 

And just touch back on this idea that women should lift weights because it makes them bulky… women do not produce enough of the hormone testosterone to bulk up like men do. It would require intense nutritional efforts and/or steroids to get to the physique of a man.

But this ties back to perspective. For some toning is long, skinny limbs. For others it is defined shoulders and muscular thighs. 

You can download 5 of our favorite core exercises or our best glute exercises by clicking the appropriate links. 

THE BENEFITS OF RESISTANCE TRAINING

Outside of the toned appearance you might desire, there are many other benefits to resistance training. And these are reasons alone to start a program.

  • Improve bone density
  • Reduce risk of chronic disease
  • Benefit mental health
  • Improve flexibility and mobility
  • Increase strength

For me the increased confidence, and feeling of empowerment I got from lifting weights is what made me make it a habit. There is something to be said for emotional strength you get with physical strength.

A great piece of equipment for anyone working out at home is a TRX. We recently did a month long cover on how to train with the TRX. Take a look and find the fitness inspiration you need!

shoulder press for toning

RESISTANCE TRAINING FOR TONING

Moderate weight and high reps will aid in increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat. Remember, toning is a combination of resistance training, nutrition and cardio. You will want to consider all three as part of the same program. 

TONING WORKOUT

Repeat this 5 times using 10 lb dumbbells for every exercise.

  • Deadbugs 20 (one weight in each hand)
  • Glute bridge 20 (weight on hips)
  • Skull crusher and toe touch 20
  • Cursty lunge and SA shoulder press (front squat hold) 15/15
  • Toes out RDL to sumo squat 15
  • Bent over row and tricep kick back 20
  • Reverse lunge with forward press and rotation over knee 10/10
  • Flat back double extension and single extensions 10 (holding 1 DB)

muscle toning split squat

WHAT ABOUT CARDIO?

There is always a debate on whether cardio and resistance training can be done in the same session. And the answer is inevitably, it depends on the goal you are working towards. When it comes to toning, they can absolutely be combined. 

By combining cardio and resistance training you can increase calories burned with in a workout by manipulating your heart rate. It is also an effective way to improve your endurance. 

One key point I like to mention is quality of work. Don’t ever sacrifice form and range of motion just to get the work done. 

The good news is that cardio doesn’t mean you need to run 5 miles a day. Check out my blog all about “ How I get my Cardio Training Every Week”. It’s all about cardio training with out long runs or workouts.

You can read more about how to get your heart healthy cardio training done without running in this article. 

renegade row for toning

WHERE TO START

I covered a lot in this article, but please take away this one point. Toning is the combination of increased muscle definition and decreased body fat. Definition will come from resistance training for muscle mass and lowering your body fat. Lowering your body fat will come from nutrition, resistance training and cardio. 

If you are looking to tone up your physique this year then follow a program that covers nutrition, resistance training and cardio.

OUTFIT DETAILS

Some of the links below are commission links, where I get paid. The price does not change for you ordering through these links and your support is greatly appreciated!

PERSONAL TRAINER

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Are you ready to start a new workout program that focuses on building strength in a simple and effective manner? Then you are in the right place! My Dumbbell Only Workout Program is your answer to achieving your fitness goals. Let's explore why my program is the...

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3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

Owning your own training business can be an exciting and yet overwhelming thought. But ask yourself... Are you committed to the long term? Does passion and knowledge fuel your desire to work with clients everyday? Are you looking for more career advancement...

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Zumba: Could Dancing be the Cardio you need in your Workout Routine?

Zumba: Could Dancing be the Cardio you need in your Workout Routine?

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The 90s brought us a lot of great things. I mean come on who doesn’t love scrunchies, fanny packs, and a good colorful windbreaker? And the best part about all of these 90s trends is they are back in style! Walk down the street and you will see plenty of these trends. Some of them haven’t gone out of style this whole time. One of these? Zumba.

These classes are taken by millions of people each year around the world. Walk into almost any public gym and you will see Zumba classes being offered and filled up fast. Maybe you are the first one to sign up for the 6 am class. Maybe you are the person who has never taken a Zumba class and wonders what all the hype is about.

Either way it is good to know what this type of exercise is doing for your body. Is it just all fun and games? Is it the missing piece for your cardio plan? And what do you do if Zumba classes are not available to you?

Maybe Zumba doesn’t quite sound like your thing or you’re just not sure what you are getting yourself into. Get all your questions answered below! Or check out these other great fitness trends like Pilates and HIIT.

WHERE DID ZUMBA ORIGINATE?

This type of exercise was founded in the 90s in Columbia and popularized in the United States in the early 2000s. Alberto “Beto” Perez was the founder. An aerobics instructor, Perez forgot his music for the class and needed to improvise with a salsa tape he had on hand. He headed a class that was a mix of aerobics and dancing.

When he started teaching his style in Miami in 2001, he ended up meeting Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion. Together, they started calling the style Zumba. This has absolutely no significant meaning, but the name must have stuck. Now we have the hybrid aerobics and dance that we know as the craze, Zumba!

WHAT IS ZUMBA?

We have discovered that Zumba is a mix of aerobics and dance, but what does this actually entail? The Latin dance inspired class consists of a 45 to 60-minute workout. The workout starts with a slower song to help you get warmed up and the songs build to a higher intensity. The workout then ends with a cool down song to help get your heart rate back down.

Classes are led by a certified instructor who will tell and show you what movements you need to do for the workout. The moves pull from different Latin dances such as the samba, salsa, merengue, and reggaeton. The workout itself is designed to mix in both high-intensity and low-intensity moves. Not sure what high-intensity really means? Read more about high-intensity interval training.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ZUMBA?

Because you are constantly moving in a Zumba class, it is definitely considered more of a low-intensity steady state cardio. Even though there are some parts of the workout that are more intense than others, it is not quite considered interval training. This is a great way to work in some cardio to your program, but as far as strength your advances are limited.

There are some forms of Zumba that do incorporate strength into them. These are going to be more body weight or light weight workouts. They will incorporate things like squats, burpees, and lunges into the dance styles to add more muscle engagement.

One of the biggest benefits to a Zumba class is the fun! For some people weightlifting is not their thing. They maybe aren’t accustomed to what doing a weight training session is and want something that will keep them on their toes and excited to work out. This dancing style of exercise definitely provides

WHAT ARE THE DOWNFALLS OF ZUMBA?

As with all of the other group classes we have talked about, Zumba is not going to give you the great strength gains you may want. Because it is a cardio based workout, we are only working in one energy system primarily. We are losing some of the power and strength that comes from lifting per say.

Another aspect that I have found when doing these types of workouts is the all-out effort part. The thing about Zumba is it is 100% dependent on the effort you give. You could be doing the moves but if you are not doing them all out, you could not be getting the same benefits as mentioned above. For example, in a back squat once the weight is on your back you have no choice but to lift it. However, in Zumba it could be easy to hide behind the group class and not get the most out of it.

One other issue with the Zumba workout is that it is not targeting upper body much. Yes, there are some arm movements, but they are not taking on the workload of the workout. If this is the only class you are taking part of as your exercise mode, you will not be getting a total body workout from a strength standpoint.

It is also important to note that we need resistance like dumbbells or our body weight to make a strength gain and prevent osteoporosis. Try supplementing your zumba class with a total body strength workout! Finding balance in your workout routine is important.

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Are you ready to start a new workout program that focuses on building strength in a simple and effective manner? Then you are in the right place! My Dumbbell Only Workout Program is your answer to achieving your fitness goals. Let's explore why my program is the...

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3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

Owning your own training business can be an exciting and yet overwhelming thought. But ask yourself... Are you committed to the long term? Does passion and knowledge fuel your desire to work with clients everyday? Are you looking for more career advancement...

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Barre: What is it the fitness trend and is it worth it?

Barre: What is it the fitness trend and is it worth it?

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I grew up in a family of dancers. Taking dance lessons until the time I was 8 years old and I’d be lying if I said I still don’t love to dance around from time to time. I think this is the case for a lot of people. Dance is something most people really enjoy letting out some energy with. This is why the popularity of Barre classes have skyrocketed. But is Barre just another fitness trend?

Many people who have a background in dance are looking for that same structure and technique that they are accustomed to with dance classes. Even for those who don’t have a dance background, think dancing is fun. And they are right, it can be a great way to change up your workout routine!

WHAT IS BARRE?

I think many of us have a very vague idea of what Barre is. This was actually started in the 1930s, when Lotte Berk brought it to the public. She was a modern dancer for the time and wanted to bring this kind of exercises that emphasized isometric movements and control for the general public. Many of her dancers at the time had already experienced this, but she wanted to make it widespread so that people of all ability levels could try it.

For today’s world, the class has strayed from a traditional ballet class and has pulled from other popular methods of exercise such as Pilates and Yoga. Making Barre a hybrid fitness trend.

Learn about pilates.

The workouts provided in Barre classes are a challenge. If you have ever seen a ballet or been in a ballet class, you know just how difficult the technique and bodily demands can be. Don’t let this scare you off. The classes are much more tailored to help beginners ease their way into each exercise.

A typical Barre class is set up is by going through each muscle group and burning it out using a series of low impact, but high repetition, exercises. In addition to this muscular endurance work, the class also works in some flexibility training as well.

The important thing to know here that it is not a ballet class. You do not have to be a trained dancer to try it and it is just like starting any other fitness class out there. You will be guided by an instructor the entire time and will get the group workout atmosphere.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BARRE?

You may be still wondering why on earth you would do this if you have no background in dance and are just looking for a new workout. There are actually many benefits to doing a workout of this type. Similar to Pilates, this type of workout is going to be mentally engaging as well.

Also placing a big focus on technique, you will have to be heavily concentrated on the task at hand. This may be just the workout you need to get that mental break from your day job.

Barre classes are also a great way to form a community around your workout routine. If you hate working out alone, this might be a great thing for you to try. You can bring along your friends or make new ones a the class.

Not only will Barre be a place for you to bond, but you will have an accountability aspect.

The benefits are not all mental, there are a lot of physical benefits to doing a Barre workout as well. This is another fitness trend that places a large focus on training the core. The benefits associated to Barre are numerous, but perhaps two of the most important are improved posture and balance.

WHAT ARE THE DOWNFALLS OF BARRE AS A FITNESS TREND?

If you have read any of our other fitness trend articles, the drawbacks of Barre might not surprise you.

As we have discussed in previous posts about fitness trends, the improvements in strength from Barre are limited to the weights and reps you use. Because it is often bodyweight or low weight, you are limiting yourself to the muscular endurance phase. There will be limits to how much strength you can build through this kind of workout.

It may not get you to your goals. Similar to a lot of other exercise classes, they are only working in one lane. You are not able to vary your workouts or what phase you are working in because you are confined to the selection of the instructor. This is fine if this is built in to a well-rounded program with cardio and strength, but it is something to consider when planning your week of workouts.

There is little-to no challenge for your heart rate. I am not saying that every workout has to get to the peak of your VO2 Max. However, this does need to be built into your exercise routine in order to improve your cardiovascular health in the long run.

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Are you ready to start a new workout program that focuses on building strength in a simple and effective manner? Then you are in the right place! My Dumbbell Only Workout Program is your answer to achieving your fitness goals. Let's explore why my program is the...

read more
3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

Owning your own training business can be an exciting and yet overwhelming thought. But ask yourself... Are you committed to the long term? Does passion and knowledge fuel your desire to work with clients everyday? Are you looking for more career advancement...

read more
fitness articles
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PILATES: WHAT IS IT? SHOULD I BE DOING IT?

PILATES: WHAT IS IT? SHOULD I BE DOING IT?

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Just like finding the perfect outfit to wear, picking out the right exercise method to fit your lifestyle and goals is tailored to the individual. Due to people’s different goals and a wide range of interests there are a plethora of fitness classes, trends, and workouts available to the public. HIIT workouts, circuit training, pilates and more.

Exercising is for you and your body to make you feel your best. Just like putting on the perfect outfit! Not only does the exercise method have to match what you want to achieve, but you also have to enjoy it. If you loathe your workout it just gives you an excuse to skip it. It can be tough to find this perfect fit when it comes to exercising. Did you know that your personality plays a huge role is this?

Pilates has been one of the most popular fitness trends not only because of physical benefits, but because of the mental relaxation as well. The question is, is this just a craze? Or is it what you are missing in your workout routine? Let’s dive in and discover a bit more about Pilates.

WHAT IS PILATES?

Although Pilates has really become popular amongst celebrities and gyms everywhere, it has been around since the 1920s. Named after Joseph Pilates who founded the practice, Pilates focuses on specific exercises and movements coupled with a focus on breathing. It also puts emphasis on stretching while developing strength, stability, and balance.

We often talk about how important these factors are in your workout routine. And they become increasingly important as you age. Read more on exercising as you get older.

In fact, “Contrology” was the original name of the practice because of this focus on how you must control your body through breathing and throughout the movements. Many have compared Pilates to yoga, but with more fluidity through each pose or exercise. The biggest focus here is on technique and doing the movements precisely.

Classes usually range from about 45 minutes to an hour and go through a sequence of poses without holding as yoga does. This offers more of a challenge to the body with breathing techniques and engaging almost all of your muscles as you go through many of the poses.

There are different forms of Pilates of which the two most common are Reformer and Mat. Reformer uses equipment such as resistance bands, foot pads, a moving carriage, and straps all on one apparatus. Mat is simply that. It is done on a yoga mat with just your body as you are guided through the exercises. This is generally more accessible to people through video services or at-home Pilates.

BENEFITS OF PILATES

Pilates has a big following because of its’ emphasis on core strength and using body and mind in alignment through the class. Many have seen this as a great transition into the exercise realm when coming from classes like yoga.  There is a large draw to it for these reasons.

Other benefits include the focus on improving posture and flexibility and a big one is that it is a form of low impact training.

As discussed earlier, it is important to find an exercise mode that is suited for your needs and your desires to get active. You should not just focus on why you like it, but why it is beneficial for your body. Evaluate adding Pilates to your workout by deciding if these benefits match your goals. It is also important to look to see if the pros outweigh the cons.

DOWNFALLS OF PILATES

When you look at just the benefits of something it is easy to get a cloudy judgement. On paper, Pilates seems like an amazing way to get active. And it is! But we have to come back to the goals here. If your goal is to drop that number on the scale or see large muscular gains, Pilates may not be for you.

After all, in Pilates you are doing bodyweight exercises. You will not be able to get extreme muscle definition or strength from bodyweight. Even if you add in resistance bands or other equipment seen in reformer type Pilates, you still have a cap as to where your gains can go.

In addition, if weight loss is your goal, Pilates will most likely get you to where you want to be. Incorporating aerobic activity along with strength training will create a more well-rounded workout program. Pilates is a great supplement but doing it as your only form of exercising may not be what your need.

Pilates is a very technical and precise workout. It is not so easy to just jump into an advanced workout without proper knowledge of the exercises and order. This is not uncommon when it comes to different forms of exercises. But when you think of something like a cycling class you can understand the simplicity of hopping on a bike to join a class.

This is not to discredit Pilates, but to ensure that when you are finding the right fit for your workout you consider all the angles!

If Pilates isn’t your thing and you want a more intense form of exercise, maybe circuit training is more your speed. Go at your own pace and pick a couple of exercises to tailor to your time frame.

WHAT NOW?

I would like to emphasize that Pilates has its place in the world and the importance it puts on core and flexibility is spot on. The important things I wanted to bring to light here is that you consider your why when doing a workout. Whatever your reason for working out make sure that is in line with the workout itself, that your are enjoying it, and ultimately it is doing the RIGHT things for your body in the end.

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